BEGINNING OF FESTIVE SEASON: A Nepalese army soldier fires a shot to start the festival on Ghatasthapana, the first day of Dashain festival, in Kathmandu, yesterday. Dashain is a 10-day grand festival of Nepalese people.
DPA/IANS
Kathmandu
The Madheshi bloc that has been protesting in the southern belt of Nepal against the constitution said yesterday it will “tone down” the strikes that have been ongoing for nearly two months.
The bloc told a press conference that while it had decided to call off strikes from Fulpati to Purnima, the 10 main days of the Dashain festival, starting October 19, it was not
withdrawing from dissent.
Violent protests against the new charter have claimed at least 47 lives and caused a fuel crisis as neighbouring India sealed its border, citing security issues.
Critics allege that New Delhi is pressuring Nepal to amend the constitution in favour of the Madheshi, which share strong cultural and historic ties with India.
Yesterday, 22 oil tankers were allowed to enter Nepal, a significant increase from the couple of vehicles allowed access since the strikes began.
For the first time in more than two weeks, petrol pumps also distributed fuel from government stores, amounting to 750,000 litres. However, many people were forced to return without refueling, even after spending 12 hours queuing up with their vehicles.
“I dragged my motorbike for nearly an hour to the petrol pump and then stood in the line all day but I still get no petrol,” said Ananta Adhikari, who had to return home disappointed.
A major China-Nepal border port in China’s Tibet region reopened yesterday after it was disrupted by the quake that hit Nepal on April 25.
The road leading to the port finally reopened after months of repair, allowing the port to operate again, Xinhua quoted Sun Lijun, head of the port’s management committee, as saying.
He predicted trade at the port will see explosive growth after a huge fall in border trade following the quake. Nepal has been Tibet’s largest trade partner since 2006.
The port, about 130km away from capital Kathmandu, used to be the largest port linking the two countries, but it gradually lost its influence due to weak infrastructure.
At the end of last year, the port was expanded to boost bilateral economic and tourism development.
In 2014, the foreign trade volume of Tibet dropped by nearly 33% year-on-year, largely due to a major landslide in Nepal that disrupted road traffic between Tibet and the Tatopani Port in Nepal from August to October.
INDIA REACHES OUT TO NEW PM: India’s ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has held talks with the newly elected Nepalese Prime Minister K P Oli and discussed issues related to both countries.
There were also discussions on Oli’s visit to India and easing the supply of fuel and other essential commodities from India to Nepal.
While congratulating Oli on being elected as the PM, Rae hoped that relations between Nepal and India will further strengthen during his tenure, said the PM’s private secretariat.
